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The Greater Cincinnati Critics and Awards Program announced its high school theater nominations May 2, and the Anderson and Turpin theater departments have been honored with 29 Cappie nominations for their plays “Who’s Aftaid of Virginia Woolf?” and “A Piece of My Heart.”

Twenty local high schools participated in the Cappie program this year, and Turpin received the most nominations out of any play, while Anderson was nominated in every category for which it was eligible.

The Critics and Awards Program is an international program that recognizes and celebrates high school theater. The Cappies invites high school theater and journalism students to be trained as theatre critics, attend shows at other schools, and write reviews. In April, the student critics vote for the best of what they have seen. The awards will be presented at the formal Cappies Gala May 25, at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” was one of two winter plays produced by Anderson theater in February. With only four actors and a single set, the play was both intimate and intense. The performance was honored with a Best Play nomination, and all four actors were nominated for their performances: Shannon Sheridan and Sam Straley for Lead Actress and Actor in a Play, and Allie Dalton and Bill Pahutski for Supporting Actress and Actor in a Play. In addition, the crew was nominated for Publicity, Sound, Lighting, Sets, Costumes, Make-up, and Props. The performance received twelve nominations in total.

“A Piece of My Heart” was Turpin Theatre’s fall play, an emotional journey into the lives and experiences of six young women serving in the Vietnam War. By adding projected images, music, and dance elements, Turpin created a unique experience for audiences. They, too, were honored with a nomination for Best Play, and six actors received nominations for their performances, including Daisy Bentley (Lead Actress in a Play), John Keil and Mary Claire Lyon (Supporting Actor and Actress in a Play), Molly Brubaker (Comic Actress in a Play), Abby Johnson (Female Vocalist), Jillian Price (Female Dancer), and Zack Plavsic and Julia Olmsted (Featured Actor and Actress in a Play). The six nurses were also nominated for Best Ensemble, while Kristen Miller was nominated for Choreography. The crew was also nominated for Sound, Lighting, Costumes, Special Effects/Technology, Stage crew, and Creativity.

In addition to the nominations associated with their play, Turpin’s Critic Team was honored with two Best Male Critic nominations, one for Lead Critic Matt Herndon and one for Matt Ruehlman, and a nomination for Best Critic Team. The Critic awards are based on the quality of the reviews the critics write for the shows they attend during the season, and individual nominations are given to the top six male and female critics out of over 150 total critics in the program.

Forty Nine students from Anderson and Turpin High Schools were nominated for 32 Cappie awards for their writing skill or their work on two plays, "A Piece of my Heart" (Turpin) and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (Anderson). Winners will be announced at the Cappie Gala on May 25th.